National Organization for Marriage implies being American and LGBT are incompatible

In a fundraising email sent late Wednesday hours before 4th of July celebrations kick off across the nation, the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) implied being an American and being LGBT or pro-LGBT are incompatible.

“We’re a republic founded on the principles of religious liberty, freedom and democracy, endowed by our Creator with inalienable rights. We’re a nation where citizen rights come from God, not from government, and where the people are sovereign, not politicians or judges,” NOM President Brian Brown wrote in an email to supporters. “But those principles are under siege, by the culture, by our federal government and, increasingly, by the US Supreme Court.”

Attached to Brown’s email was a simple image of an American flag juxtaposed next to an LGBT Pride flag with the caption, “Which Banner Will You Choose?” — seemingly implying that a choice must be made between being an American and being LGBT or pro-LGBT.

What’s more, the image of the American flag used in the NOM graphic is of one not flown in any official capacity since the 19th century when James Monroe was president. The modern American flag representing all 50 states has alternating columns of four and five stars, whereas the flag pictured in the NOM graphic has columns of four stars, appearing to indicate it is the flag flown from 1818 to 1819 when there were only 20 states. Each star represents a state.

NOM’s fundraising email comes one week after another set of losses for the organization, when, on June 26, the Supreme Court ruled in two cases to strike down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act and return marriage equality to California.

“If we do not fight back against these governmental attacks on our fundamental right to act in the public square in support of the truth of marriage as God created it, then none of our cherished liberties and rights are safe,” Brown wrote.

Calls to NOM’s offices for comment on the implication that being American and LGBT are mutually exclusive and the use of the 1818 version of the American flag went unanswered late Wednesday.

[Images: Courtesy of the National Organization for Marriage and Wikimedia Commons]

Justin Snow is Metro Weekly's former political editor and White House correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @JustinCSnow.